pipes|drums’ fearless forecasts for the year 2014

We’re already four days into the New Year, so it’s time to make a few predictions for the piping and drumming world in 2014.

As with last year’s prognostications, we’re again making only 10 this time, and these 10 are our best attempt to identify trends in the serious responses from our invited panel of experts. And, after that, we’ll consider how we did with the 10 predictions that we made for last year.

1. Field Marshal Montgomery will continue to dominate the UK Grade 1 circuit, but not to the extent that the band did in 2013, missing at at least one major championship, but winning the World’s.
2. RSPBA will announce new rules for maximum registered players with bands for each grade beginning in 2015.
3. Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia will place in the top-four in at least two major championships.
4. Callum Beaumont will win the Glenfiddich.
5. A big-name Scottish band will see its pipe-major of many years resign at the end of the season.
6. A new “super band” will form in Ontario from the merger of at least two of three Grade 1 bands.
7. Willie McCallum will win the Clasp.
8. After second-prizes, Blair Brown will win the World Solo Drumming.
9. The RSPBA will bring back consultative judging; other associations will follow.
10. A New Zealand Grade 1 band will break the top-six at the World’s.

So, there you are. Those are our bets for next year. We could go on, but will keep them at that.

Now, let’s take a look at our 10 serious predictions for 2013 that we made at the start of last . . .